The vast majority of these cities – 83 – were in the India and all exceeded World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines by more than 10 times, according to the report IQAirwhich monitors air quality worldwide.
The study specifically looked at fine particles PM2.5 which is the smallest pollutant but also the most dangerous. Only 9% of most of 7,800 cities analyzed globally, recorded air quality that met the WHO standard, according to which annual average PM2.5 levels should not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic meter.
“We see that the air pollution has an impact on every aspect of our lives”, said IQAir Global CEO Frank Hames. “In some of the most polluted countries, it probably reduces people’s life expectancy by 3 to 6 years,” he said.
When inhaled, PM2.5 particles travel deep into lung tissue, where they can enter the bloodstream. These particles come from sources such as burning of fossil fuelsdust storms and wildfires and have been linked to asthma, heart and lung disease, cancer and other respiratory diseases, as well as with cognitive disorders in children.
Last year, the most polluted city in the world was Begusaraia city of half a million people in the northern Indian state of Bihar, with an average annual PM2.5 concentration of 118.9 – 23 times higher from WHO guidelines. All over India, 1.3 billion people– 96% of the population – live with air quality seven times higher than WHO guidelines, according to the report.
The cities with the worst air pollution are in Central and South Asia: Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Tajikistan. South Asia is of particular concern, as 29 of the 30 most polluted cities located in India, Pakistan or Bangladesh.
Heims said there is unlikely to be a significant improvement in pollution levels in the region without major changes in energy infrastructure and agricultural practices.
“What’s also worrying in many parts of the world is that the things that cause outdoor air pollution are sometimes also the things that cause indoor air pollution,” he added.
IQAir found that the 92.5% of 7,812 regions in 134 countries, regions and territories where it analyzed average air quality last year exceeding WHO guidelines for PM2.5. Only 10 countries and territories had “healthy” air quality: Finland, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Australia, New Zealand, Bermuda, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius and French Polynesia.
Millions of people die every year from health problems related to air pollution. Air pollution from fossil fuels it kills 5.1 million people worldwide every year, according to a study published in the scientific journal «BMJ» In November. Meanwhile, the WHO reports that 6.7 million people die annually from the combined effects of air and household pollution.
The man-made climate crisis, caused by the burning of fossil fuels, is having a major impact on air pollution levels, says the IQAir report. The climate crisis is exacerbating weather patterns, causing changes in wind and rainfall, which affects the dispersion of pollutants. According to scientists, climate change will worsen pollution as extreme heat becomes more frequent. The climate crisis is also leading to bigger ones fires in many areas and in longer and more intense pollen seasons, which exacerbate health problems associated with air pollution.
“Anything we can do to reduce air pollution will have a huge long-term impact on reducing emissions and vice versa,” the researcher pointed out.
Of the 134 countries and regions that participated in the survey – Greece ranks 51st – only seven (Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada (Caribbean island), Iceland, Mauritius and New Zealand) meet the permissible limits of the World Health Organization ( WHO) for microscopic particulate matter emitted by cars, trucks and industrial plants.
The vast majority of countries do not meet these standards, according to the report by IQAir, a Swiss air quality organization that draws data from more than 30,000 monitoring stations around the world.
While today’s air is much cleaner than it was for most of the last century, there are still areas where pollution levels are particularly dangerous to public health.
Regional ranking
North America was severely affected by the wildfires raging in Canada from May to October last year. In May, the monthly average of air pollution in Alberta was nine times bigger from the same month in 2022, according to the report. For the first time, Canada has surpassed the United States in regional pollution rankings.
China has reversed a five-year trend of declining pollution levels, according to the report. Chinese cities used to dominate global rankings of the world’s worst air quality, but a series of policies implemented over the past decade have changed things for the better.
A study last year found that these changes they increased the life expectancy of Chinese citizens by 2.2 years. However, heavy smog returned to Beijing last year, resulting in increase the average annual concentration of PM2.5 by 14%according to the IQAir report.
In Southeast Asia, only on Philippines saw a decrease in annual pollution levels compared to the previous year, according to the report. THE Indonesia was the most polluted country in the regionan increase of 20% compared to 2022. According to the report, many cities in Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand exceeded WHO guidelines for PM2.5 by more than 10 times.
“There’s still so much hidden air pollution on the planet,” Hames said.
One positive is the growing pressure and citizen involvement from communities, NGOs, companies and scientists to monitor air quality.
“Ultimately this is great because it really shows governments that people care,” the researcher concluded.
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